Question of the Week: How would you fix Social Security?

The federal retirement system is on course to run short of funds starting in 2033, when projections say the system would be able to pay only three-quarter of the benefits due.

Our editorial board has had its say on the matter, first laying out the case for saving Social Security and then proposing specific solutions to its long-term deficit.

Now it’s your turn. Our Question of the Week: “What should we do about Social Security’s looming insolvency?”

How would you fix it? Which of the five most commonly recommended adjustments would you employ: raising the payroll tax rate, raising the cap on the payroll tax, means-testing benefits, raising the retirement age, changing the cost-of-living adjustment? Or do you have another option in mind?

These reports are not exactly page-turners, but they can help you understand how various policy tweaks would play out to change Social Security’s fiscal trajectory, and what the effects might be on retirees’ finances.

Perhaps you’d rather play the actuarial academy’s Social Security game at www.actuary.org, which quickly shows how the system’s shortfall would be affected by some specific policy changes.

So, tell us what you would do. Send your thoughts to opinion@langnews.com. Include your full name, and your city or community of residence. Provide a daytime phone number for verification. If you prefer, use the comments section that accompanies this article online.